Dirigible light for vehicles



April 27 1926. 1,582,245

E.BRUDER DIRIGIBLE LIGHT Fon vnrcmss File Feb. v, 1925 2 sheets-sheet 1 1,582,245 v E. BRUDER April 27 1926.

DIRIGIBLE LIGHT FOR vEHILEs Filed Feb. v, 1925 2 Sheets-sheet 2 Patented Apr. 27, 1926.

Unirse, stares EDMUND BRUDER, OF CHCAGO, ILLQNIS, ASSIGNKOR CHIAGG, ILLINOS.

ronLBnnT n. GLos, 0F

DIRIGIBLE LIGHT FOR yVEHICLES.

Application led February 7, 1925.

To @ZZ whom 'it may concern.'

l-le it known that l, EDMUND BiiUDnii, a

citizen ot the United States, residing aty Chicago, in the county of Cool; and State oi Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dirigible Lights for Vehicles, oi which the following is a specification. t

This invention relates to lights ot' the type commonly known as dirigible Vhead lights whereby the rays oi? light therefrom will be thrown into the path ot the forward wheels when the vehicle isV rounding a curve ormaking a. turn. j

Heretotore the head lights of the vehicle have been used tor suoli purpose and such lights have been generally connected with or actuated from the turning'or steering knuckle, with the result that the light rays are thrown out ot' the line ot the vehicle until the wheels are inov-ed to a position that the rear wheels will track therewith.

lt is one ot the objects of the present nvention to provide an improved dirigible light that may be used in connection with the head lights and which will be inounted adjacent and lconnected with the wheel hub and which will be' flexibly supported to overcome undue vibration and which will be twisted or shifted by the wheels when the vehicle is turned, so that the rays of light therefrom will always be positioned in the path ot the wheel and vvisible not only from the front of the vehicle, to approaching vehicles, but the lights will also operate a signa-l to a followingY vehicle and at, the saine time serve to indicate to a vehicle the ydirection of turning ot' the vehicle upon which the light is mounted.V

A further yobject is to provide an iinproved light ot this character which is adaptedV to be readily applied to any vehicle.

To the attainment ot' these ends and the accomplishment of other new and use t'ul objects the invention consists inthe features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangement ot' the several features hereinafter `inore fully described and claimed andas shown in the accompanying drawings and in which drawings, j

Figure 1, is a side elevation of a portion Ot an automobile having a light constructedv yand the cap or oor/er1?) inav seriai No. moo.

in accordance with the principles ot this iuvcution applied thereto. f

Figi-ire 2, is a tcp plan view ot Figure 1.

Figure 3, isa detail vertical sectional view of a portion of the vehicle and the lan'ip.

' Figure Ll, is an elevation of the anchoring device which is connected with the wheel hub.

'Figure 5, is a View of the parts shown in Figure 4 .partly in section and with the parts separated.

lfigure 6, is a top plan viev.7 of the light asing with the top removed.

Figure 7, is an enlarged detailliorizontal sectional view ot aportion of the lamp casing. v1 Figure 8,*is a leit handend yelevation ot figured with parts broken away.

Figure 9, is an elevation ot' the fastening .device tor securing the lenses or light screens in the lan'ip'casing. A v Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates portion of 75 an automobile having front wheels 11 adapted to be deflected in the usual manner, not shown, torvsteering the vehicle. Connected with each vot the front wheels are lights, and the construction of each of the lights is the saniethe v(il-.escription ol one will apply to thein both. i

rlllie light 'consists of a casing of any dcsired size and configuration but is preferably rectangular in `cross section. The bottom 12 is preferably integra with the `walls be reinovablv secured in position in any suitable manner such as by meansv otV fastening devices, not shown, adapted tofeiitei' apertures or open- `ings 1st in the topof the upright walls.

The front 15 et the casing is provided with one or inore openings having a suitable screen or lens extending there across, and the bach wall 16 is providedfwit-h one or more openings 1T across which a lens ror screen 18 extends and in liront ot' the lens 18 is arranged a vsuitable reliector 19 having openingsQO registering with the openings 17 and operates to reflect the rays from theV lainp lthrough the opening in the front wall. 15 of thelanip casing.

A similar lens or screen is arranged togextend across the opening in the front wall 15 and serves to reflect the rays from the light lil ll through the openings l?. rlhe side wall is provided with one or more openings 23 across which alens or screen '24 extends and aI reflector is provided against the lens 24 and is provided with an opening or openings QG registering with the openings 23.

The lamp *il is removably held in position by passing threugh the wall .27 and is sccurcd in position preferably by having threaded engagement in an opening in the wall 2T and a reflector 28 may be provided against the wall 27 for reflecting the light rays through the opening 23 in the wall 22.

ilny suitable means may be provided for securing the lens or screens and reflectors in position such as fastening devices 29 preferably in the form of a substantially U shaped member adapted to engage behind lugs or projections 30 which latter project preferably from the corners of the casing and between the proximate edges of adjacent lenses or screens and reflectors as shown more clearly in Figure 7. t

rEhe lamp 2l is preferably connected with a removable socket member 3l in which a plug 32 of any suitable type is seated and a conductor wire 33 is connected with the plup'.

The lamp is flexibly suspended from the vehicle in any suitable manner such as by means of a resilient element one end of which is connected to the lamp casing preferably to an eye or loop 35 on the cover i3, and the other end is connected with a lined portion of the vehicle such as the fender 36. Fl`he member 34 is preferably of a coil spring construction and tubular so that the conductor 33 can be passed therethrough, the conductor being preferablj threaded and looped through the eye or loop 35 as at 37 to prevent pulling out the plug S3 by the motion of the lamp with respect to the vehicle. rlhe conductor 33 preferably passes under the fender 36 and may be secured in position by a surtable clip 3S and may ifV desired be passed through the fender as at 39.

Connected with the hub Ll() of the wheel 1l is a cap 4l adapted to be sleeved over the hub and secured in any suitable manner such as by means of screws or fastening devices d2, and said cap is provided with a circumferential flange and a peripheral recess 44 which latter serves as a race for roller bear ings -fl such as balls.

Sectional bearing members l5 co-operate to hold the balls in the race. way and these members are secured together preferably by screws or bolts il? the heads of which are provided with apertures 4S for a purpose to he set forth.

Grooves 49 are provided on each side of the race way ist and serve to receive water and convey it away from the ball bearing.

A shield may be provided for the ball bearing and preferably tion of the grooves 49. erably held in position screws or bolts il?.

Resilient members 5l are secured by one end to suitable eyes or apertured lugs 52 on the bottom 'l2 of the lampcasing and the other ends of these resilient elements, which are preferably in the f rm of coil springs, are secured respectively apertures 48 in the heads of the bolts or screws 47.

'lhese resilient elements 5l are so arranged that when the wheel ll is deflected with respect to the vehicle, the light will be correspondingly deflected er twisted, and at the same time the lamp casing will be yieldingly held in position.

The ball bearing` which encompasses the hub cap will not interfere with the rotation of the wheel and at the saine time. will prevent friction and binding between the parts.

ln use when the wheels ll are deflected, the respective light casings will be correspondingly deflected or twisted to cause the light rays from the front of the lamps to he thrown at all times in advance of the wheels and at the same time and by reason of the lenses Q0 in the back of the lamp casing there will be exposed a signal light to a following vehicle and also to a vehicle that may be approaching from the side, while the lens or opening on the side of the lamp will also constitute another and different signal or indication.

Obviously any color lenses or light screens nay be employed to cover the respective openings in t-he walls of the lamp casing.

The lamp casing being adjacent and on the outside of the wheels will not cause confusion and will obviate the necessity of employing or twisting the usual head lights on the vehicle. The lenses or screens may be readily removed by removing the securing or fastening devices 29.

lVhile the preferred form of the invention has been herein shown and described it is to be understood that various changes may be made in the details of construction and in extends over a porrlns shield 1s prefby means of the the combination and arrangement of the various parts, within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of this invcntion.

`What is claimed as new is:

1. In combination, a wheel supported vehicle, means for dellecting certain of the wheels for steering the vehicle, a light, means flexibly supporting the light from a portion of the vehicle with respect to which the wheels are deflectable, and means connecting the light with the hub of one of the last recited wheels to be deflected thereb v.

2. In combination, a wheel supported vehicle, certain of said wheels being adapted,

in the to be deflected to steer the vehicle, a light supported by the vehicle independent of the Wheel and of the steering mechanism and in proximity to one of the last said Wheels adjacent the outside of the Wheel, and means connecting said light with. the hub of the Wheel to be deflected by respect to its support.

3. In combination avehicle, a steering` traction Wheel, a lamp, means supporting the lamp upon the vehicle, and means connecting,` the lamp directly with the hub of said Wheel and on the outside of the Wheel, the said lamp being adapted to be deflected W'th respect to its support and by the said Wheel when the latter is deflected with rc` spect to the vehicle.

fl. In combination, a vehicle, a steering traction Wheel, a lamp, meanslexibly supporting the lamp from a portion of the vehicle with respect to which the Wheel is delectable, said lamp being disposed adjacent the Wheel and on the outside thereoic Within the periphery of the Wheel, and a connection between the lamp and the hub of the wheel.

In combination a vehicle, a traction wheel therefor adapted to be deflected with respect thereto, a lamp, means flexibly s upporting` the lamp upon the vehicle, a flexible anchor connected with the lamp, and means for securing the said anchor to the Wheel hub on the outside of the Wheel.

G. In combination, a vehicle, a traction Wheel therefor adapted to be deflected With respect thereto, a lamp, means flexibly. supporting` the lamp upon the vehicle, an an chor connected With the lamp, and means for securing the said the Wheel and With'k close proximity to one of anchor to the Wheel hub on the outside of the Wheel, the last reu cited means 'including a roller bearing in steer the vehicle, a lamp anchored to the vehicle and operatively connected with one of the Wheels, said lamp being adapted to be rotated by the last recited Wheel on an uprightaxis and `with respect to the vehicle, and means whereby the light rays Will be simultaneously visible from in front and from behind the vehicle.

9j, In combination a Wheel supported vehicle, certain of the Wheels being detlectable to steer the vehicle, a lamp anchored to the vehicley and operatively connected with one or' said Wheels and adaptedto be rotated by thek last said Wheel onan upright axis and with respect to the vehicle, and means ly visible from in front of and from behind the vehicle, the said lamp being' disposed in said delectable Wheels and adjacent the outer face thereof.

In testimony whereof I have signed mv `name to this .speciieatiomon this 4th day of February, y

. EDMUN D BRUDER.

- whereby the light rays willy be simultaneous- 

